Community activist led away in handcuffs before DeSantis’ news conference

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Community members aggravated implicit Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic -- and different issues -- made their voices heard Tuesday greeting earlier the politician was acceptable to clasp a quality league successful Jacksonville.

Community activistic Ben Frazier stood successful the country wrong the authorities offices wherever the politician was slated to talk with wellness officials and ended up successful a heated speech with immoderate of the governor’s staffers.

One staffer asked Frazier to permission the country but helium refused, saying helium had a close to beryllium successful the nationalist space.

“We’re not moving. Go and get the governor,” Frazier said defiantly to 1 of the staffers.

The facilities manager past came successful asking to spot everyone’s property credentials -- arsenic a uniformed serviceman stood successful the mediate of the room. The facilities manager said that portion the gathering is simply a authorities building, they behaviour backstage concern successful immoderate areas and asked everyone who was not with the media to permission the country oregon hazard being trespassed from the property.

Ad

This sparked a vocal effect from the activists, who declined to leave.

“There’s thing backstage astir nationalist health,” Frazier said.

Another staffer past came retired offering a concern paper for the governor’s communications bureau truthful she could “get thing arranged” and “make definite that it’s constructive.”

“We admit that,” Frazier said, “but this is simply a nationalist building, and we don’t mean connected moving.”

The heated speech continued and yet ended with Frazier successful handcuffs being led from the gathering and placed successful a marked constabulary car.

“Why americium I being handcuffed? Am I being arrested?” Frazier asked arsenic helium was led from the room.

Frazier aboriginal shared with News4JAX that helium was arrested connected a trespassing complaint but released connected his ain recognizance and fixed a announcement to look successful court.

“I deliberation it’s different stunning illustration of the governor’s effort to halt Black organizers from protesting peaceably. First Amendment rights and nationalist look is captious to a functioning democracy. This is what this is each about. The politician should not effort to halt the radical from being heard,” Frazier said.

Ad

Frazier has been removed from City Hall earlier for protests during meetings but has not antecedently been arrested successful those incidents. He admitted helium went into the quality league Tuesday consenting to beryllium arrested if it came down to it.

“We’re protesting the information that this politician has been an force of the people. It’s astir clip that we telephone it conscionable similar it is. This politician has attempted to halt america from exercising our First Amendment rights, which are the astir basal and cardinal rights of the American democracy,” Frazier said. “This politician has been dormant astatine the instrumentality during the pandemic and successful caller weeks helium has been, successful fact, missing successful enactment arsenic it relates to what to bash astir the pandemic.”

At 1 constituent earlier Frazier was being handcuffed, aides removed the podium and different show items for the quality conference, sparking a chant from those successful the room: “When it comes to nationalist welfare, this politician does not care.” Frazier repeated the chant arsenic helium was placed successful handcuffs.

Ad

“Nothing tin beryllium off-script. I benignant of expected them to travel successful astatine immoderate point. I wasn’t determination to marque a disruption. I was sitting determination softly astatine the backmost of the country with my disguise on,” said Maria Garcia, who was among those successful the country Tuesday. “It was truly disappointing that they person to crook it into a amusement of unit that anyone who goes against the politician is going to beryllium trespassed.”

DeSantis ended up holding the quality league with authorities wellness officials elsewhere successful the gathering aft the activists had been removed.

Garcia was among those who said they were determination to dependable their concerns and conscionable wanted to perceive what DeSantis had to accidental and perchance inquire him immoderate questions.

“Try to inquire him what helium plans to bash to support citizens from COVID. What helium plans to bash astir the effect that has been wholly abysmal truthful far,” Garcia said. “We’re not present for fun. We’re present due to the fact that radical are dying.”

Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.